The Eternal Question
by rhiannamcmahon
Summary: Sequel to Sugar & Spice...


The Eternal Question  
  
by: Rhiannon McMahon  
  
***Thanks to AJ for giving me a title! And for, as always, proofing this story & pointing out all my dingbat mistakes!***  
  
"Grandpa, why does Grandma keep asking you and Mommy if you like names?" Marrah asked her grandfather as they sat on the bed coloring.  
  
"Well, you see Marrah, your Grandma is crazy." Jed told her, knowing full well Abbey was listening from the bathroom.  
  
"I heard that Josiah," came Abbey's voice.  
  
Jed winked at his granddaughter, who giggled in delight. "Heard what, dear?"  
  
"I'm crazy."  
  
"Oh, are you really?" Jed asked, innocently. "I never would have guessed."  
  
Marrah giggled as Abbey walked out with a shirt rolled up in her hands. Marrah's giggles turned into laughter as Abbey nailed Jed in the face with that shirt.  
  
Jed sat there for a moment with the shirt covering his head. He turned to his granddaughter, who was rolling around on the bed laughing. He shook his head, "I think I'm outnumbered here."  
  
"For once, you're right," was Abbey's response.  
  
"Okay, okay." Jed replied, taking the shirt off his head. He looked over at his wife, "Are you ready?"  
  
Abbey glanced in the mirror. Her face took on a concerned look. Jed could see the question before he heard it.  
  
"Do I look fat?"  
  
Jed looked up at the ceiling for a moment. He hated lying to his wife, but if he didn't then they'd never get anywhere. "No, Abbey. You look fine. You look beautiful."  
  
Abbey glanced at her husband through the reflection in the mirror, "Yeah, right. You're just saying that so I won't spend the next hour and a half making you look at every thing I have in my closet as I try to find something I don't look fat in ... aren't you?"  
  
"I plead the fifth." Jed replied... He had no intention of repeating that particular pregnancy memory ever, ever again. He shook his head, "Let's go Abbey."  
  
Abbey turned to face Jed, "Where's Jennifer?"  
  
"She and Zoey went shopping."  
  
"What about Marrah? We can't take her to the doctor with us." Abbey said.  
  
"I've got you covered." Jed said, as he herded Marrah and Abbey out the bedroom door. "Mrs. Landingham is going to watch her until the girls get back."  
  
"How did you convince her to do that?" Abbey asked.  
  
"Don't ask." Jed said as they made their way to the West Wing.  
  
**  
  
Mrs. Landingham looked over at Marrah. The little girl was happily coloring at a little desk that had been set up just for her. In the two months she and her mother had been at the White House, Marrah had managed to wrap just about everyone around her little finger... Well, except Toby. Mrs. Landingham  
  
smiled, Marrah was such a sweet little girl ... but she was a handful. This sharply intelligent little girl was into everything she could put her little hands on.  
  
Mrs. Landingham looked over at Charlie, "Charlie?"  
  
"Yes, ma'am?" the young man responded.  
  
"I have to run an errand, would you mind watching Marrah for me?" Mrs. Landingham asked.  
  
"Sure, no problem."  
  
"Okay, but remember Charlie, she's three years old and into everything. You have to watch her closely." Mrs. Landingham warned him as she walked towards the door.  
  
Charlie nodded, "Not a problem, Mrs. Landingham."  
  
"I'll be back in ten or fifteen minutes." Mrs. Landingham said, walking out  
  
the door.  
  
Charlie watched the little girl color for a few minutes more and then turned his attention back to the computer at his desk. He looked up ten minutes later and glanced over at Marrah's desk. His heart stopped....  
  
She wasn't there. ***** Toby looked up when his door opened. He stared at it in confusion. It had opened ... but there wasn't anyone standing in his doorway.  
  
At least, no one he could see.  
  
A second later, a little blonde head appeared by the side of his desk. Two blue eyes peered up at him, "Hi"  
  
Toby stared at the little girl, "Hello..."  
  
"What you doing?"  
  
"Wondering where you came from." Toby responded.  
  
"Grandpa's office," she told him, climbing up into his lap.  
  
Toby's eyes widen slightly, "Who invited you to sit on my lap?"  
  
"I did." Marrah replied.  
  
"Why?" Toby asked.  
  
"Cause, I want to." Marrah replied.  
  
"How did you get in here?" Toby asked her.  
  
"I walked," she replied simply.  
  
Toby groaned ... the kid was just like her mother, "Yeah, I figured that. Did you walk here by yourself?"  
  
"Yes," Marrah answered.  
  
"You're only three years old how did you find my office?"  
  
"I'm almost four!" Marrah exclaimed.  
  
"When's your birthday?"  
  
"September eighteenth." Marrah said proudly.  
  
"That's tomorrow." Toby said, more to himself.  
  
"Yep! What you going to get me?"  
  
Toby looked at the little girl, "What makes you think I'm going to get you anything?"  
  
"Cause you like me."  
  
"What makes you think I like you?" Toby asked.  
  
"Cause Sam said you were... Mr. Grumpy-pants with people you like."  
  
"Sam called me Mr. Grumpy-pants?"  
  
"Yep." Marrah said. "I'm hungry."  
  
"I don't have anything to eat."  
  
"I'm hungry," she repeated.  
  
"You're not going to leave me alone until I give you something to eat, are you?" Toby asked.  
  
"Nope," came the reply.  
  
Toby growled as he looked through the drawers of his desk as Marrah sat, happily, in his lap. Finally, he came across a small package of goldfish crackers CJ had given him, "If I give you these will you promise to sit still?"  
  
"I promise."  
  
"Good." Toby handed over the package. Marrah took it ripped into it.  
  
"Toby?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Tell me a story."  
  
"Marrah..."  
  
"Pleeease?" Marrah begged, looking up at him with her big blue eyes.  
  
"Fine."  
  
"Let's sit on the couch."  
  
Toby shook his head. He couldn't believe he was letting a three year old tell him what to do. He rose from his chair and, with Marrah still in his lap, settled on the couch, "Anything else, Princess?"  
  
"No, this is good." Marrah answered, smiling up at him. "Story."  
  
"Okay, once upon a time there was this Jewish boy that had to deal with people who made him crazy all day long..." Toby began.  
  
** Jed and Abbey sat in the doctor's office. They had come in for a sonogram to make sure everything was going smoothly. Dr. Susan Lawrence looked over at her old friends with amusement. She had just discovered something that was sure to put a grin on Jed's face.  
  
"Well, everything seems to be fine Abbey." Susan said. She pursed her lips, "There's just one thing though..." ***** Jennifer stood with Zoey in the reception area of her father's Oval Office. She had her hands on her hips and her lips pursed. In her tight little black skirt, her red shirt, and four inch black boots, she was indeed an intimidating presence to reckon with.  
  
And Charlie Young was having to reckon with her now.  
  
"I'll ask you once again Charlie, where's my daughter?"  
  
Charlie looked over at Zoey. The youngest Bartlet daughter simply looked at him with an expression of compassion. Zoey had been at the receiving end of her sister's temper once or twice in her life ... it had not been fun.  
  
Charlie looked at Jennifer, "Well, you see ma'am I-"  
  
Just then Josh burst into the room, "Jeffener! Don't kill Charlie, I found her."  
  
Jennifer and Charlie sighed, both for different reasons. Jennifer looked at Josh, "Where is she?"  
  
"You're never going to believe this." Josh said, taking her hand and leading her out the door.  
  
Mrs. Landingham looked over at Charlie, "I told you Charlie." ~~~ "You're right, I don't believe it." Jennifer said, as she and Josh stood outside Toby's office.  
  
In the window they saw Toby and Marrah laying on the couch. Only, Marrah was coloring and Toby was sleeping. Jennifer smiled at the sight. She and Josh exchanged a look as she opened the door softly.  
  
Marrah looked up, "Hi Mommy," she whispered.  
  
"Hi Monkey." Jennifer returned.  
  
"Toby's sleeping."  
  
"Yes, I see that." Jennifer responded. "You caused a little bit of a panic around here Monkey. Charlie and Mrs. Landingham didn't know where you were."  
  
Marrah's eyes got big for a moment, "Oops."  
  
"Yeah, oops." Jennifer said, reaching her arms out. "Come on Monkey."  
  
Marrah jumped down off the couch, causing Toby to sit upright, completely awake. He looked up and saw Jennifer standing over him.  
  
Jennifer sighed, "Marrah, why don't you go with Josh. I'll be right out."  
  
Josh reached out his hand, "Come on Monkey, let's go bother CJ," he said, leading the little girl away.  
  
"Listen," Jennifer started. "I just wanted to say-"  
  
"Don't say anything Miss Bartlet." Toby said, rising from the couch. "I think you and I have said enough to each other. Marrah wandered in here. And I watched her."  
  
"Yeah, you did a great job watching her while you were asleep there Ziegler." Jennifer responded. Immediately, she regretted her words.  
  
Toby felt his jaw tighten, "Well, you know something Bartlet. If you had been watching her in the first place, then she wouldn't have been wandering around the West Wing in the first place, now would she?"  
  
"Don't you dare start-"  
  
"I didn't start. I'm just finishing." Toby interrupted her.  
  
Jennifer choked back the response that wanted to bubble up. Instead she looked at him with a granite expression, "You know what? I was going to thank you for watching her. And I was going to apologize for the things I said in the past."  
  
Toby looked at her, startled by the soft tone the words were delivered in.  
  
"But, you know what? You can forget all that." Jennifer raised her voice as she said the last sentence to him. "And you can go to hell!"  
  
Jennifer walked out the door, slamming it for good measure.  
  
** Jed and Abbey sat in their bedroom, stunned by the news... They still couldn't quite believe what Susan had told them.  
  
Abbey turned to Jed, "Are you believing this?"  
  
"Yes," Jed replied after a moment. "I actually am."  
  
"Are you crazy?" Abbey exclaimed. "When have you ever thought that it was even remotely possible for us to have-"  
  
"Around the time that you started arguing with Susan, telling her it was impossible." Jed responded.  
  
Abbey rolled her eyes, "You know this is all your fault, right?"  
  
"Why is it my fault?"  
  
Abbey just looked at him, "Think about it real hard, Pumpkin."  
  
"Are you going to blame every ache and pain you have on me for the rest of this pregnancy?" Jed asked, already knowing the answer.  
  
"You had better believe it Gumdrop." Abbey replied, walking towards the bathroom.  
  
Jed sighed, resigning himself to his fate, "Just checking." He looked over a note that Leo had left for him. He read over it, "Damn."  
  
"What?" Abbey asked from the bathroom.  
  
"Your daughter told Toby to go to hell and then slammed Toby's office door." Jed replied.  
  
Abbey walked to the door, "What? Wait a minute, why was she in Toby's office?"  
  
"Apparently, Mrs. Landingham left Marrah with Charlie for a few minutes. Charlie took his attention off of the Monkey and when he looked up, she was gone." Jed paused for a moment. "Wonder if I can get out of-"  
  
Abbey shook her head, "No way. Finish the story."  
  
Jed made a face, "Apparently, Marrah marched her little self over to Toby's office and made herself at home. Then Jennifer walked in and Charlie had to explain that he had lost Marrah."  
  
Abbey closed her eyes, "Poor Charlie."  
  
"Poor Charlie is right." Jed mumbled. "Josh found Marrah and took Jennifer to her, thereby saving Charlie's life... You're not going to believe this Abigail..."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Toby was asleep on his couch and Marrah was sitting on his lap coloring." Jed said, an amused expression painted on his face.  
  
"You're right, I don't believe it." Abbey said, shaking her head.  
  
"It's true." Jed replied. "Long story short ... this is supplied by Ginger who was listening outside the door, by the way. Jennifer apparently was going to thank Toby for watching Marrah and apologize for past transgressions. Instead, they ended up shouting at each other. The punctuation of this shouting match being your daughter telling Toby to go to hell and then slamming his door."  
  
Abbey closed her eyes, "What is it with those two? They're worse than you and her."  
  
Jed sighed, "Got me," he shook his head, then remembering something looked up at his wife, "You got Marrah's presents, right?"  
  
"Yes, I got Marrah's presents." Abbey replied. "I got all Marrah's presents ... except the one you wanted to get yourself. Did you get it?"  
  
"Indeed I did, Dr. Bartlet." Jed said, rising from his chair. He walked over to his wife with a bit of a swagger, "And I happen to have something for her grandmother as well."  
  
"Do you now?" Abbey asked, walking past him.  
  
"Indeed I do." Jed replied, following her. "Why don't you come here and I'll give it to you."  
  
Abbey shook her head, "Why don't you try and catch me first."  
  
"You asked for it." Jed replied, giving chase... Although it wasn't much of a chase. He soon cornered her against the wall by her side of the bed. He was leaning in for a kiss when a voice was heard from the doorway.  
  
"Oh, come on you two," the voice said. "You're worse than a couple of teenagers."  
  
Jed and Abbey looked up to see their two youngest daughters standing in the doorway. Jed looked at them, mildly irritated, "I know you two were taught to knock, I was there."  
  
Jennifer nodded, "Yeah, but generally, when people knock ... it's because there's a door closed in front of them."  
  
Abbey looked at her husband.  
  
Jed nodded his head, "Yeah, yeah I know. It's all my fault."  
  
** "Josh, what do four year olds like?"  
  
Josh looked up as Toby walked into the room, "What?"  
  
"What do four year olds like?" Toby repeated.  
  
"I don't know, why are you asking me this?" Josh asked.  
  
"Are you going to Marrah Bartlet's birthday party this afternoon?" Toby countered with his own question.  
  
"Yeah, why?"  
  
"Well?"  
  
"Well, what?"  
  
Toby choked back his irritation, "What are you getting her for her birthday?"  
  
"Coloring books and a bunch of crayons and markers." Josh said, completely confused. "The Monkey likes to color, it's her favorite thing to do."  
  
"Okay."  
  
"Why are you asking me?" Josh asked.  
  
"Do I look like I have one idea what to give a four year old for her birthday?" Toby asked dryly.  
  
"You're going to the party?" Josh asked, genuinely surprised.  
  
Toby shrugged, "I might. I might get her a present. Is there a problem with that?"  
  
"No..." Josh said, a slow smile spreading across his face.  
  
Toby noticed the smile, "What are you smiling at?"  
  
"You." Josh said, his smile turning into a grin.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because Marrah has you wrapped around her little finger." Josh said, thoroughly enjoying the fact that is grumpy colleague had been so taken with the little girl.  
  
"She does not."  
  
"Oh, my friend, she does."  
  
"Whatever." Toby said, walking out the door. ~~ Several hours later, Toby was wading through the crowd of people that had packed the residence for Marrah's birthday party. He was trying, very hard, to drop his present off and make an escape before he was seen.  
  
"Toby!"  
  
He cringed inside ... too late.  
  
Marrah came running up to him, "Pick me up! Pick me up!"  
  
Toby picked her up and held her in one arm and her present in the other. Marrah grinned at him, "What you get me?"  
  
"What makes you think I got you anything, Princess?" Toby said, walking through the crowd, ignoring the looks he was getting from people.  
  
"I told you yesterday, because you like me!" Marrah said, giggling.  
  
"That's right ... you said something about me being... What was it?" Toby paused, walking by Sam. "Mr. Grumpy-pants."  
  
Sam promptly spewed the drink he was drinking all over himself when he heard that name. He looked over at Toby, who kept walking with a slight smile on his face.  
  
"Ah, Toby!" Jed called out, walking over to him. "I see Marrah found you. She's been asking all day if you were coming."  
  
Toby looked at Marrah. The little girl nodded vigorously. He felt his face soften... The kid had actually wanted him to be there...  
  
Jed watched with interest as the normally irritable Communications Director's face relaxed by several degrees... His little granddaughter had turned this grizzly bear into a teddy bear. Jed smiled as he excused himself, "Abbey and I have a little announcement that should make CJ's life just little bit more  
  
fun. Marrah, you watch out after Toby. Don't let him get into any trouble."  
  
"I won't Grandpa!" Marrah replied in a singsong voice. When her grandfather walked away, Marrah turned to face to Toby, "Let's go get some punch!"  
  
"Wouldn't you like to walk now?"  
  
"Nope!" came the sprightly reply. "Carry me, pleeeease."  
  
"Whatever you say, Princess." Toby replied as he made his way over to the punch bowl, Marrah in his arms.  
  
** Abbey stood with Jennifer as Marrah's birthday party got into full swing. Abbey had noticed the mood that Jennifer had been in all day. She seemed distant ... that was unusual for her normally engaging middle daughter.  
  
"Jennifer?"  
  
There was no response from Jennifer.  
  
Abbey sighed, "Jennifer."  
  
Once again, Jennifer gave no sign that she had heard her mother calling her name.  
  
"Jennifer Erin!"  
  
"Huh?!" Jennifer said finally, turning to face Abbey.  
  
"What's wrong?" Abbey asked, putting an arm around Jennifer. Jennifer put her head on her mother's shoulder and Abbey kissed her head, "You've been in a mood all day."  
  
"You heard about my temper tantrum yesterday, didn't you?"  
  
"I did." Abbey responded. "Leo wrote your dad and I a note."  
  
"I tried to apologize Mom." Jennifer sighed. "And I ended up insulting him again... I feel bad about it Mom."  
  
"I know you do, Munchkin." Abbey replied.  
  
"He was such a jerk Mom. The first words out of his mouth were rude. He didn't give me the chance-"  
  
"Jennifer, after the things you said to each other the last time, what did you expect?" Abbey sighed. "He completely expected the smartass Jennifer Bartlet to start insulting him again."  
  
"Yeah, I know." Jennifer said. "You know, Marrah keeps asking me if he's going to be here?"  
  
Abbey smiled, "She likes him and, from what I hear, he's totally wrapped around her little finger."  
  
"Mom, everyone is totally wrapped around her little finger!" Jennifer laughed.  
  
"Yeah, well, when's the last time you saw Toby Ziegler stand in a room full of people with a four year old in his arms?" Abbey asked her daughter as she gazed across the room.  
  
"What?" Jennifer said, following her mother's gaze. Toby was talking with someone with Marrah, happily, in his arms. She raised an eyebrow, "Well, I'll be da-"  
  
"Watch your mouth Jennifer Erin." Abbey said. She looked up as Jed walked over to her.  
  
Jennifer smiled when she saw the way her mother's face lit up when her father walked up to them. They defiantly lived for one another... There was no question about that.  
  
Jed leaned over and kissed Abbey on the cheek, "Well, my blushing bride, you wanna tell everybody now? I figured we'd just tell everybody now, they're all together."  
  
Abbey detected the twinkle in his voice, "You just wanna tell everybody now so you can watch everyone decide how they're supposed to react, don't you?"  
  
Jed laughed, "Is that so wrong of me?"  
  
Jennifer laughed as her parents walked away, both grinning from ear to ear. She shook her head ... they were both insane. Jennifer felt a pair of eyes on her and she turned in that direction.  
  
From across the room, Toby was watching her. Jennifer looked back at him, no expression on her face. She really didn't know what to think about having this man holding her daughter ... she didn't know how she felt about Marrah having taken up with him so much, either.  
  
She sighed as she turned her attention to the front of the room where her parents were obtaining the attention of the room.  
  
Jed bounced from his heel to his toes, "Well, since everyone is together, Abbey and I thought now would be the perfect time to let you all in on something we found out today. As some of you know, Abbey and I went to the doctor's today. And we found out something very, very interesting... Actually, I was kind of excited about it earlier, but when my lovely wife informed me in very simple terms that my life as I have known it has ended... I almost lost my excitement."  
  
Abbey tilted her head to one side as she dropped a well placed heel on her husband's foot.  
  
"OUCH!" he exclaimed, as everyone around him laughed. Jed shot Abbey a look, which she returned with an innocent smile. He shook his head, "I told you..."  
  
"Jed," Abbey said.  
  
"All right, all right." Jed nodded. "Abbey and I are very proud to tell you that..."  
  
Jed stopped in the middle of his sentence, "Abbey, you hurt me."  
  
Everyone in the room looked at each other with amused expressions as Abbey turned to her husband, "The day you give birth we'll talk about pain, Jed Bartlet."  
  
"Yeah, but my foot hurts."  
  
"Jed," Abbey sighed.  
  
"It really hurts." Jed repeated.  
  
"Your other foot's going to hurt too if you don't hurry up and make this announcement." Abbey said, raising one foot off the ground.  
  
Jed took a couple of steps away from his wife as the crowd in the room laughed, "Okay, okay," he looked at the people in the room. "You see what I have to deal with?"  
  
"Mr. President," Leo spoke up from across the room. "Please tell us your announcement before Abbey kills you."  
  
"Fine!" Jed said. "I was going to make this big speech and make it a memorable moment, but-"  
  
"DAD!" two voices rang out through the room.  
  
"Abbey's having twins!" Jed blurted out. ~~ Jennifer stood in the party room, a few hours after her father's big announcement. She was thrilled for both of them. She loved them both very much.  
  
"Mommy!"  
  
Jennifer turned around and saw her daughter running toward her, "Hello, Monkey!"  
  
Marrah jumped into her mother's arms, "Guess what!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Guess where Toby's going to take me!"  
  
"Where?" Jennifer asked, a bit uneasy.  
  
"To the zoo!"  
  
"How did you manage to get that out of him?"  
  
"I said please!" Marrah answered, quite seriously. She turned to the door, "Didn't I Toby?"  
  
Jennifer saw Toby standing in the doorway for the first time. She could almost feel the tension and the uneasiness that flowed between them.  
  
"That you did Princess." Toby responded. "Bye Marrah."  
  
"Bye Toby." Marrah said, scampering towards him. When she reached him, he picked her up and she promptly placed a kiss on his cheek.  
  
Toby jumped a bit, completely startled.  
  
Jennifer felt her stomach churn, "Marrah, Toby has to go. And Grandma and Grandpa are waiting for us."  
  
"Okay Mommy." Marrah said, scrambling down out of Toby's arms and running towards her mother.  
  
When Marrah reached her, Jennifer took her hand and turned and walked out of the room.  
  
THE END 


End file.
